Anglers push Alabama High School Athletic Association to sponsor fishing as sport

Will student-anglers be fishing for their school teams one day? (The Birmingham News / Joe Songer)FLORENCE -- Alabama high school students may soon take their competitions from the football fields to the fishing ponds.

Outdoors enthusiasts are angling to get the Alabama High School Athletic Association to adopt fishing as an official sport.

They are hosting the Alabama High School Bass Fishing Club Tournament Series on March 6 in Decatur to jump-start the movement, and about 20 high schools are fielding fishing teams for the event.

Tournament founder Tim Tidwell told Florence's TimesDaily he hopes it will "snowball" and help propel fishing to become an official sport, complete with its own state championship.